


Supportive at every turn

by tothetrashwhereibelong



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Gen, Jordan Kyle is an abuser, Trans Bat Velasquez, Trans Female Character, Trans Maia Roberts, a little bit of internalized transphobia, bigender Bat Velasquez, brief mentions of abuse, it's just kinda fluffy initial coming out convo, nonbinary Bat Velasquez, one hundred percent self indulgent thing written on a whim, this makes the whole thing sound heavy it's not tbh, very brief and non specific mention of The Polycule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25436326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothetrashwhereibelong/pseuds/tothetrashwhereibelong
Summary: Bat figures they should start thinking about transitioning.They go to Maia for help.
Relationships: Maia Roberts & Bat Velasquez
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	Supportive at every turn

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who went down a rabbit hole! It's me. I went down a rabbit hole. 
> 
> I get more and more niche with my sh content with each passing day but what can I say. Trans Bat rights. I wrote this on a whim in like..... half an hour or something, but anyway, I hope you like it! If you do, please leave a comment

“Hey, Bat,” Maia greets, casually, as soon as Bat enters Taki’s. It shouldn’t really be surprising; the restaurant is not open yet, and this means that no one but the pack, Maia and Raphael’s partners, and the occasional clan member can get in. Most of the time, it’s Bat; but it’s not like Bat’s supposed to bring her anything today, and she knew who it was without even looking up. 

Well. That ends any hope of having the time to take a deep breath before talking to her. A part of Bat wants to flee, but that would only make it worse when they were inevitably back. So, they give her the best smile they can, and sit on the counter, watching as she checks if she espresso machines are all running normally. 

She finally looks up at them, raising an eyebrow. “You know we’re not open yet, right?” she asks, a mix of curiosity and comfortable casualness in her tone. It makes them relax, funnily enough. The whole thing feels normal for a second, even if for Bat it's anything but.

“Yes." They say, quickly, "I just, uh, wanted to talk to you.” 

She looks up, her interest piqued. “Okay,” she says, putting her hands on the counter slowly, her lips pursed in something almost like a challenge. “Hit me. Is it pack business?” 

“No,” they shake their head. They wouldn’t come to her on Taki’s for pack business, unless it was an emergency. They know that she already knows this, and as nervous as they know she knows that they are, this is definitely not their there-is-an-emergency behavior. They would never have become her second-in-command if it were. Pack leaders have to be quick on their feet, and lose as little time as possible. 

Besides, very little counts as an emergency, these days. Even when there is a new person Turned, Bat and the others already know how to handle it at this point. And thankfully, that’s the hardest thing they usually have to do. 

She nods, seeming thoughtful. “Is it about me?” 

“Uh, no,” they answer, a little uncomfortable. “It’s about me.”

“Okay,” she answers, seeming to relax a little at those words, her worried stance taking calmer, steadier undertones. “And I assume it’s going to be long, since you came here,” she glances at the clock, “two hours before we’re open. So, do you mind helping me do inventory and everything? I’m sure you know the drill by now.”

“Yes, of course,” Bat says, thankful to have something to do, and they know just from looking at her smile that she knows exactly how much it helps. They’re a lot better at talking when they can keep their body occupied. Otherwise, it feels like they’re going to jump out of their skin. 

Raphael confirms that they’re well stocked up, which doesn’t come as a surprise, since their deliveries come in magically and so never get late, or lost. Maia has already handled the hygiene and security checks, so they begin to set the tables, and soon she joins them. Almost as soon as that, they fall into an easy, repetitive routine of work, and their mind is suddenly not occupied anymore. Maia seems to simply wait for them to start talking, comfortable in her element and used to the easy routine before the restaurant opens.

“So,” they swallow, trying to get her attention, and she doesn’t avert her eyes from the table, but still nods shortly at them. “I think I’m bigender.” 

“Okay,” Maia says, beginning to wipe the table before she can set it. 

“Okay,” they repeat, still feeling like they’re psyching themself up. They knew Maia would be nothing but supportive, of course, but… Still. “And that doesn’t surprise you?” They ask, more curious than anything.

Maia finally looks up at them, even stopping her cleaning motions. “Your name is Bat,” she says. 

“That’s from Bartholomew,” Bat counters, frowning, even as they kind of wince at the name. They never liked it, which- is stereotypical, but true. Besides, it just sounds plain ugly. 

“Bartholomews are nicknamed Bart,” she counters, “you specifically chose to make another nickname, that’s more neutral sounding _and_ the name of a random animal that’s usually considered yucky. If that’s not a nonbinary move, I don’t know what is.” 

She has a point. Still, they cross their arms briefly, just on principle. They struggled with this for years, more than they’ve spent struggling with having been Turned, and the whole thing feels very anticlimactic. 

“I’m glad you told me,” she says, honestly. “Are you going to change your pronouns? It’s okay if you haven’t decided yet,” she adds quickly.

“Uh, I’m testing them out,” Bat admits. “I think- they and she both work. I’m not against he, but…” they trail off. But it feels a little invalidating, especially as they barely started transitioning. But they know that Maia understands this. 

“Okay,” she says. “I’m happy for you. Thank you for telling me." Then, after a little thoughtful pause, "Do you want to talk about it? Your process? Or did you just want me to know?” 

“I, uh,” they stumble a little, unsure of how to go on with words. “I was hoping you could, help me? With the transition? You know, teach me,” they make a vague gesture with their arms, “how.” 

She smiles, something almost like laughter. “There’s no ‘how’, Bat. It all depends on what you want.” 

“Well, yes, but I can’t just,” they gesture at themself, “stay like this.” 

Maia frowns. “You could, if you wanted to. There’s no right or wrong way to be trans, Bat. And- well, I don’t know that for sure, but I think when you’re nonbinary, figuring out how you want to present is trickier. It’s a big spectrum. So there's also that, but even if there weren't, you don’t have to change your appearance at all. Or if you do, you can take it slow, see what seems right for you.” 

They frown. “Didn’t you start ttransitioning pretty much as soon as you figured out you were trans?” They ask.

“Well, yes,” she says, a little sheepish. “But I was desperate. I- really wanted to look ‘like a girl’,” she does little air quotes, “and I knew I wanted to run away from home, so I had to figure out a way to do that before I left. And then there was Jordan.” She looks away. 

Right. Of course. Jordan wanted her to look like a _real_ girl as soon as possible. Bat almost slaps themself in their insensitivity. “I’m sorry,” they say. 

She smiles, an affectionate, precious thing. “It’s not your fault,” she says, and they’re happy to see she isn’t fully hiding the pain in her eyes; Jordan is not a topic that destroys her anymore, but it’ll always be an ugly scar, and they’re happy that Maia trusts them enough to see the glimpses of hurt that still linger when he’s brought up. 

She starts putting the vases on the table. The flowers today are a delicate yellow, blooming with the promise of vividness. Courtesy of Meliorn, Bat knows. 

“I’m just saying that my case- well, it was mine. Yours is yours. If I had had more time, I might have taken it slower. Gone to a doctor, maybe. I don’t know,” she shrugs. “So you have time to figure out what you want, and how you want it. You know we’ll all support you.” 

“I do,” they answer easily, fiddling a little with their hands. It feels almost silly, the nervousness they had felt, even as they knew it was more their fear of voicing it for the first time than anything. “Thank you for that, by the way.” 

Maia smiles. “No problem, Bat.” 

They have to turn around to hide a smile. Which is ridiculous. Maia has called them Bat their whole lives. There’s nothing different about this. 

And yet, the smile stays.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it! Please leave a comment, they're very appreciated


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